Kotimatka on rauhallinen.

to be

Breakdown of Kotimatka on rauhallinen.

• rauhallinen: peaceful
• kotimatka: the trip home

Questions & Answers about Kotimatka on rauhallinen.

What does the compound noun kotimatka consist of, and why is it written as one word?

Kotimatka is formed by combining koti (meaning “home”) and matka (meaning “journey” or “trip”). In Finnish, it’s common to merge words into compounds when they together express a single concept, which is why they’re written as one word.

What is the role of the word on in this sentence?

On is the third-person singular present form of the verb olla (to be). It acts as a linking or copular verb that connects the subject (kotimatka) with the predicate adjective (rauhallinen).

Why is the adjective rauhallinen not inflected to match the subject’s case?

In Finnish, when an adjective is used predicatively as in this sentence, it remains in its basic (nominative) form. Predicate adjectives do not take case endings even though attributive adjectives would need to agree with the noun they modify.

How is the sentence structured grammatically?

The sentence follows a simple Subject–Verb–Predicate structure. Kotimatka is the subject, on is the linking verb, and rauhallinen is the predicate adjective that describes the subject.

Would the adjective change form if it were used directly before a noun, and why?

Yes, if the adjective were used attributively (directly before a noun), it would typically be inflected to agree with that noun’s case and number. However, as a predicate adjective after the verb on, it remains uninflected in the nominative form.